If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you must consult your doctor for a treatment. You might need some therapy sessions or medication along with some lifestyle changes. But if due to some reason, you still wish to take care of your own self, there are a few
methods that can help you mitigate the feeling of anxiety.
Put these methods into practice and you'll start seeing a change in your anxiety levels, whether you have an anxiety disorder or not.
- Stick to a sleep schedule: It is very important to have a fixed sleep schedule. Anxiety of course makes it difficult to sleep. But not being well-rested will only keep contributing to more anxiety. Although, there are a few ways to get better sleep with anxiety. Go to bed the same time and wake up at the same time in the morning each day. Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night as it will help in keeping the anxiety at bay. Inadequate sleep increases the production of stress hormones which can increase anxiety.
- Eat healthy and avoid substances: A diet that is rich in sugar, fat and refined carbohydrates can very much increase the risk of anxiety. Eating a diet that is rich in wholesome and natural foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes can control the anxiety. Even omega-3 fatty acids can help in reducing anxiety levels. You also need to avoid alcohol as it is just a temporary relief from anxiety symptoms that will only worsen your situation later.
- Exercise regularly: Exercising can be very effective to relieve the symptoms of anxiety and boost your mood. You can do moderate physical activities like walking for 60 minutes, 4 days a week. This can reduce anxiety too. Even short simple exercises for 20 minutes a day can be found effective to reduce stress.
- Try mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Both these techniques can help in calming down anxiety. These can be useful as a daily practice and even when you feel a spike in anxiety coming on. When you practice both these techniques, you lean hoe to calm down the feelings of anxiety and not let it get in your way. Just 10 minutes a day is all you need to invest in to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
- Try supplements like magnesium: This is a mineral supplement that has been shown to decrease anxiety. Taking magnesium supplements was associated with decreased subjective anxiety or feeling of anxiety that people report. Magnesium has muscle relaxing effects on the body. It is also relatively safer and well-tolerated by most people.
